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Casey pushes bill to mandate child abuse reporting

(Washington) -- U.S. Senator Bob Casey says adults who have a responsibility to children should be required to report cases of suspected abuse to police or local child protective agencies.

The Pennsylvania Democrat says he has introduced legislation aimed at setting minimum national standards on the issue. The proposal comes after the child sexual abuse scandal in which former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was convicted of molesting several boys.

Under the bill, adults with a professional responsibility to children - teachers, coaches, clergy and day care providers - must report suspected abuse. States could otherwise lose federal funding aimed at preventing child abuse.

In 2011, Casey introduced a bill that would have required all adults to report suspected child abuse, but the measure failed to gain traction.